Toyota announced a preliminary partnership with Waymo on Wednesday that could result in the Japanese automaker collaborating with the Alphabet unit on autonomous vehicle technology. Why it matters: As the world's second largest automaker by sales and an industry leader in manufacturing efficiency,

Imagine your next car powered by Waymo self-driving tech—today’s announcement just made it a very real possibility.

The companies didn't announce any timelines, but Toyota could be setting the stage for future vehicle announcements, be it EVs or gas-powered cars.